Getting Through The Rough Times

Rough Times.

Life is not always easy! And when time are tough, sometimes the only thing that helps you get through them is to help someone else get through their pain.

None of us can escape the tough times, they are a part of life. But being there for someone else helps you cope with your own hurt. In 1997, I put Athena, my feline friend and companion of almost twenty years old, to sleep. She had been with me through many of my own challenges in life. When she died, it felt as if a piece of me died with her. Animal lovers everywhere can understand. They become family, not like family, but true and significant members of our family.

That day was a hard day to show up for anyone or anything. Yet the only way I was able to survive the experience was by showing up for others and having the courage to tell the truth about my feelings.

I had previously scheduled a speaking engagement in Las Vegas. Possibly I could have convinced the meeting planner that I was too distraught to show up, but that was not and is not my style. I was being paid to do a job, and like the old adage, “the show must go on.” Plus, I knew I was supposed to be there – and there, I was.

It was a motivational talk, one where I was expected to share how I’d overcome life’s challenges. I’ve faced many, but this one was so real, so close in time, that it was hard to not share it. In fact, I would have been living an inauthentic lie had I avoided the topic of this very immediate loss. If nothing else, my story is about telling the truth about my feelings and my life. I’ve discovered that when I have the courage to tell the truth and be real, I give other people permission to do the same.

Take a moment and identify your reasons for giving. Don’t worry if your motives don’t seem altruistic. Just be honest as you can.